US may build hundreds of new Sentinel missile silos on private lands, Air Force says

The US Air Force may construct hundreds of new missile silos on private property to accelerate deployment of its next-generation nuclear missile, the LGM-35A Sentinel, top service officials said.

Speaking at a Mitchell Institute forum, Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said the shift to building all-new silos—rather than converting existing ones—could actually save time and money in the long run, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“In some small cases, we may need to make purchases,” Gebara said, referencing the potential need to acquire privately owned land.

“But I believe building all new silos is actually not an extender of time and cost. It’s actually saving time and cost,” he added, as reported by Breaking Defense.

The Sentinel program is set to replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, which has formed the land-based leg of America’s nuclear triad since the 1970s. Missile fields at Minot AFB (North Dakota), F.E. Warren AFB (Wyoming), and Malmstrom AFB (Montana) host the current arsenal.

During a town hall event at Minot AFB on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, director of ICBM modernization, said transitioning to Sentinel would allow the Air Force to salvage parts from retired Minuteman III missiles to keep others operational longer.

Connor noted, “the first site at FE Warren has been taken down,” though the Air Force did not clarify if he was referring to a decommissioned silo.

Katie Parks, deputy ICBM program executive officer, explained that new silos could also address infrastructure risks at legacy sites, including flooding and proximity to hazards like wind turbines, which may affect helicopter operations.

“You all will know where the wrong places to put them are,” Parks told the local community, pledging public input during a supplemental environmental review.

Minot is expected to be the last base to transition to Sentinel, a process potentially stretching into the 2040s. Officials admitted that exact timelines and costs remain uncertain as program restructuring continues.

Meanwhile, Gebara said a second B-21 Raider stealth bomber test flight is expected by year-end, and the B-52 radar upgrade is nearing flight testing at Edwards AFB, despite delays.

By Vafa Guliyeva